1. Field
This application relates generally to wireless communication and more specifically, but not exclusively, to improving communication performance.
2. Introduction
Wireless communication systems are widely deployed to provide various types of communication (e.g., voice, data, multimedia services, etc.) to multiple users. As the demand for high-rate and multimedia data services rapidly grows, there lies a challenge to implement efficient and robust communication systems with enhanced performance.
To supplement the base stations of a conventional mobile phone network (e.g., a macro cellular network), small-coverage base stations may be deployed, for example, in a user's home. Such small-coverage base stations are generally known as access point base stations, home NodeBs (or home eNodeBs), or femto cells and may be used to provide more robust indoor wireless coverage to mobile units. Typically, such small-coverage base stations are connected to the Internet and the mobile operator's network via a DSL router or a cable modem.
In a typical macro cellular deployment the radio frequency (“RF”) coverage is planned and managed by cellular network operators to optimize coverage. In such a deployment, an access terminal generally will connect to the best base station it hears for service. Here, RF planning may be employed in an attempt to ensure that the signal a given access terminal receives from a serving base station is sufficiently higher than the signals the access terminal receives from any interfering base stations, thereby enabling the access terminal to receive adequate service. An access terminal that sees interference levels that are too high may be defined to be in outage.
In contrast, deployment of small-coverage base stations may be ad-hoc RF and coverage of these base stations may not be optimized by the mobile operator. Consequently, RF interference issues may arise. For example, a mobile unit that is not authorized to access a nearby base station (e.g., a femto cell) may be subjected to interference from that base station. Thus, there is a need for improved network interference management for wireless networks.